Engine



- July 21,1936. A E ER 2,048,018

' ENGINE Filed April so, 1932 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY. 1

Patented July 21, 1936 PATENT OFFICE ENGINE Andre J. Meyer, Detroit Mich assignor to Continental Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mlcln, a

corporation of Virginia Application April 30, 1932, No. 608,366

14 Claims.

improved sleeve valve driving mechanism espe-.

cially adapted for operating associated pairs of sleeve valves such as the companion sleeves of associated cylinders in a V-type engine. Because 7 of the relative angle of such companion sleeves, many problems arise in regard to driving the sleeves, especially where a single layshaft is employed. I have overcome these problems by prol5 viding, in the illustrated embodiment of my in ventlon, a single layshaft adapted to operate a cross-shaft for companion sleeves. the cross-shaft having hinged or pivoted crank arms for actuating the respective sleeves. This phase of my ing vention is particularly adapted for actuating single sleeve valves of the combined movement type wherein the single sleeve per associated engine cylinder is given a combined oscillating and reciprocating movement inperforming the custom- 25 my engine valving functions. My invention is not limited, however, to sleeve valve engines-of any particular type or movement or any particular number of sleeve valves for each cylinder. 7 A further object of my invention resides in the 30 provision of means for actuating the sleevevalve at a point above the inner end of the cylinder, such actuation providing less sleeve distortion and thrust than when the sleeve is actuated from its end as is now customary. In order to conveniently assemble the sleeve and provide good bearing for the sleeve, I have provided a removable cylinder part, preferably bounding the inner part of a cylinder opening through which the sleeve drive extends for attachment to the sleeve. 40' Such arrangement also provides an improved arrangement of layshaft between the V formed by the cylinders and makes for a very light weight, low cost, engine having its, valve parts readily accessible for inspection. I A further object of my invention rsides' in the provision of an improved sub-assembly of the valve actuating mechanism and an improved housing for the layshaft between cooperating half portions ofthe V-cylinder block. V Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent as this specification prograsses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which: 55 Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation view transverse- 1y of the engine through a pair of companion V- cylinders,

4 Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the sleeve valve driving means as shown in Fig. 1,

Fig.-3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing 5 the sleeve cranks advanced through 180 from their Fig. 2 position.

' Fig. 4 is a sectional view longitudinally through the central part of the engine, along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a detail side view of a portion of a typical cylinder showing the cylinder wall opening receiving the sleeve driving lug, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation view through the detachable cylinder wall portion, as along the line 6-8 of Fig. 5.

In the drawing, the engine A has rows or banks of cylinders in V-formation although many, of the features of my invention are not necessarily limited to any particular arrangement of cylinders. A pair of companion cylinders in and ll are shown in Fig. 1, the description being limited to one cylinder hereinafter-as all of the engine cylinders are similarly constructed and have similar parts associated therewith. Cylinder ill, for example, has the usual intake and exhaust ports l2 and I3 respectively, the intake and exhaust manifolds being represented at I4 and i5 respectively. Within the cylinder is located the sleeve valve means, herein shown as a single sleeve valve l6 of the aforesaid combined movement type wherebyany point on the sleeve traces a closed 4 curve path with respect to the cylinder wall, the curve being usuallyin the general form of an ellipse or circle. Within sleeve I6 is a piston ll actuating connecting rod l8 for rotating crankshaft l9 in the customary manner, the connecting rods [8 of cylinders l0 and H being articulated if desired (not shown but customary and well understood).

The two cylinder rows respectively are aligned with cylinders l0 and H and are separately cast to form companion cylinder block sections B and C joined vertically at 20, then around the crankshaft bearings at 2| and terminating horizontal- 45 ly at 22. A hearing housing cap 23 forms the crankcase cover or oil pan and takes the downward thrust from crankshaft bearing portion 28, the latter having a companion bearing portion 25, these parts forming the engine crankcase inwardly of cylinders l0 and II. The cap 28 is secured to block sections B and C by bolts 28 and the block sections B and C are tied together by bolts or fastening assemblies 21 and 28. The crankshaft bearing, bolt assemblies, and asso- 65 elated parts are claimed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 608,367, filed April 30, 1932.

Cylinder it has an opening 29 through the wall thereof above the crankcase and toward the sleeve driving mechanism D, the opening being sufficient to accommodate movement of the sleeve driving lug 30 which extends outwardly through the opening perpendicularly with the sleeve axis, the lug having a ball portion 3!. The opening 29 is bounded inwardly of the cylinder above the crankcaseby a detachable cylinder element 32 preferably forming a continuation of the arcuate inner cylinder end formed by the main portion of the cylinder block B as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. The cylinder element 32 is secured in place by studs 33 and is .attached after assembling the sleeve through the crankcase outwardly of the cylinder. With cylinder element 32 removed, the opening 29 provides a slot in the cylinder wall opening to the crankcase to receive the lug 30 during assembly or the sleeve.

The driving mechanism D comprises a layshaft 3 3 having spaced bearings 35 and intermediate gears 36, the latter actuating gears 3! to rotate the cross-shafts 38 supported in bearings 39. At

. each end of each cross-shaft is a crank 40 pivoted the openings 61.

thereto by pin' 5i and formed with socket t2 having the cap 63 secured in place by fasteners 64. The cross-shafts 38 have their axes horizontal or at an angle out of perpendicular with the sleeve axes so that as cranks tliare rotated they will swing on pivots M and movearound ball portions 3i to impart the aforesaid movement to the sleeve valves.

The driving mechanism is built up as 'a subassembly and clamped inposition between the cylinder block sections B and C. Thus, I have provided a frame formed in complementary halves t5, each having openings at for gears 31 and semi-cylindrical openings 63 for receiving.

layshaft bearings 35. The companion side walls 48 form'lubricant pockets and the frame halves 45 are fastened together prior to installation in the engine by reason of connecting fasteners 69 to each side of gears 31 and by fasteners S ll at The block sections B and C have complementary openings 51 for receiving the spaced cylindrical portions 52, these portions having the aforesaid openings 5]. The subassembly including frame parts Q5, layshaft 35, gears 36 and 31, and cranks 4D, is placed inposition between the block sections B and C. The sleeve ball 3! is then placed in socket 42 and cap 53 is then secured in place to couple the crank. and sleeve valve for driving.

Referringto Fig. 4, I have illustrated a driving gear arrangement for the valve shaft, theparticular embodiment being adapted especially for use as an aircraft engine, either arranged as shown or inverted. Thus the crankshaft gear 53 drives gear. 54 carrying propeller shaft 55 and on this shaft is a pinion 56 driving layshaft by reason of the layshaft gear 61. For a fourstroke cycle engine the layshaft is driven at half crankshaft speed as usual, and the propeller shaft 55 is also driven at a reduced speed from the crankshaft.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention in detail it is not my intention to limit my invention to such detail parts since various changes and modifications will be readily apparent from the teachings of my invention.

I What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an engine of the sleeve valve type, a pair of valve means.

' extending at an angle out of perpendicular with 5 each sleeve axis, and means for operating said sleeves from said cross-shaft.

2. In an engine of the sleeve valve type, a pair of V-arranged cylinders, a sleeve valve associated with each cylinder, a layshaft intermediate said 10 cylindersand having a driving gear, a cross-shaft having a gear driven by said driving gear and extending at an angle out of perpendicular with each sleeve axis, and means for, operating said sleeve from said cross-shaft, with a combined 15 reciprocating and oscillating motion.

3; In an engine of the sleeve valve type, a pair of V-ar'ranged cylinders, a sleeve valve associated K with each cylinder, a layshaft intermediate said cylinders and having a driving gear, a cross-shaft 20 having a gear driven :by said driving gear and extending at an angle out of perpendicular with each sleeve axis, a driving lug projecting laterally from each sleeve, and a crank pivoted to said cross-shaft at each end thereof and connected to 25 drive one of said lugs.

4. In an engine of the sleeve valve type, a pair of V-arranged cylinders, a sleeve valve associated with each cylinder, 9. layshaft intermediate said cylinders and having a driving gear, a cross-shaft 30 having a gear driven by said driving gear and extending at an angle out of perpendicular with each sleeve axis, a driving lug projecting laterally from .each sleeve, and a crank pivoted to said cross-shaft at each end thereof and universally connected to one of said lugs whereby to permit each crank to swing on its pivot to move its associated sleeve with combined reciprocation and oscillation.

5. In an internal combustion engine having a pair of V-cylinders, sleeve valve means associated with each of said cylinders, a layshaft between said cylinders, and means intermediate the layshaft and sleeve valve means for driving the sleeve valve means from said layshaft, said layshaft being common to both cylinders, said sleeve driving means including crank members driven by said common layshaft, the axes of said crank members extending substantially perpendicula to the axis of the layshaft.

6. In an internal combustion engine having a pair of V-cylinders, sleeve valve means associated '7. In a V-type engine, companion cylinder block sections forming the longitudinally extending pairs of cylinder rows,sleeve valve means; associated 'with the cylinders, said sections having face contact vertically between the cylinder rows and formed with longitudinally spaced cooperating pair of recesses, and a single layshaft common to said cylinder rows and extending longitudinally of the engine between the cylinder rows, said layshaft having spaced bearings within said recesses, and sleeve driving means between 70 said layshaft and sleeve valve means, said sleeve driving means including crank members driven by said common layshaft, said crank members having axes extending substantially perpendicular to the layshaft axis.

8. In a V-type engine, companion cylinder block sections forming the longitudinally extending pairs of cylinder rows, sleeve valve means associated with the cylinders, said sections having face contact vertically between the cylinder rows and formed ,with longitudinally spaced cooperating pair of recesses, and a layshaft extending longitudinally of the engine between the cylinder rows, a frame structure journalling said layshaft, longitudinally spaced cross-shafts journailed in said frame structure and geared with said layshaft for driving the sleeve valve means,

said frame structure having longitudinally spaced cylindrical portions clamped between said pairs of recesses respectively.

9. In an engine having a pair of cylinder rows, sleeve valve means associated with the cylinders,

,a layshaft, a mechanism driven by the layshaft and adapted to drive said sleeve valve means, a frame structure carrying said layshait and sleeve driving mechanism and providing a unit subassembly thereof, and means for securing said sub-assembly in position between said cylinder rows.

10. In an engine of the sleeve valve type, a crankcase, a-pair of V-arranged cylinders extending outwardly from the crankcase and having adjacent sidewalls each provided with an opening, said openings being spaced outwardly of the cylinder from said crankcase, sleeve valve means associated with and moving axially within each of said cylinders, and means outwardly of the crankcase and including a common layshaft and sleeve actuating devices operated by said layshaft and extending in substantially opposite directions into said openingsforoperating the sleeve valve means, the inner end portions of said sleeve valve means operating in zones in wardly of the openings.

11. In an engine of the sleeve valve type, a

crank case, a pair of V-arranged cylinders ex- I tending outwardly from the crank-case and having adjacent side walls each provided with an opening, said openings being spaced outwardly of the cylinder from said crankcase, sleeve valve means associated with and having a movement axially within each of said cylinders and means outwardly of the crankcase extending into said openings for operating the sleeve valve means, the inner end portions of said sleeve valve means operating in zones inwardly of the openings, said sleeve valve operating means including oppositely extending sleeve actuating elements and a common layshaft driving said actuating elements and operating in the zone intermediate said V- arranged cylinders.

12. In an engine of the sleeve valve type, a crankcase, a pair of V-arranged cylinders extending outwardly from the crankcase and having adjacent side walls each provided with an opening, said openings being spaced outwardly of the cylinder from said crankcase, sleeve valve means associated with and having a movement axially within each of said cylinders and means outwardly of the crankcase extending into said openings for operating the sleeve valve means, the inner end portions of said sleeve valve means operating in zonesinwardly of the openings, said sleeve valve operating means including oppositely extending sleeve actuating elements and a common layshaft driving said actuating elements and operating in the zone intermediate said V-arranged cylinders, said sleeve valve means each having sleevedriving members operatively connected with said elements and received in said openings during assembly of the sleeve valve means within said cylinders.

13. In an engine of the sleeve valve type, a crankcase,'a pair of V-arranged cylinders extending outwardly from the crankcase and having adjacent side Walls each provided with an opening, said openings being spaced outwardly of the cylinder from said crankcase, sleeve valve means associated with and having a movement axially within each of said cylinders and means outwardly of the crankcase extending into said openings for operating the sleeve valve means, the inner end portions of said sleeve valve means operating in zones inwardly of the openings, said sleeve valve operating means including oppositely extending sleeve actuating elements and a common layshaft driving said actuating elements and operating in the zone intermediate said V-arranged cylinders, said sleeve valve means each having sleeve driving members operatively connected with said elements and received in said openings during assembly of the sleeve valve means within said cylinders, said cylinder structure having inner portions surrounding the sleeve valve means in each of said V-arranged cylinders inwardly of said openings.

14. In an engine of the sleeve valve type, a crankcase, a pair of V-arranged cylinders extending outwardly from the crankcase and having adjacent side walls each provided with an opening, said openings being spaced outwardly of the cylinder from said crankcase, sleeve valve means associated with and having a movement axially within each of said cylinders and means outwardly of the crankcaseextending into said openings for operating the sleeve valve means. the inner end portions of said sleeve valve means operating in zones inwardly of the openings, said sleeve valve operating means including oppositely extending sleeveactuating elements and a common layshaft driving said actuating elements and operating in the zone intermediate said V-arranged cylinders, said sleeve valve means each having sleeve driving members operatively connected with said elements and received in said openings during assembly of the sleeve valve means within said cylinders, said cylinder structure having inner portions surrounding the sleeve valve means in each of said V-arranged cylinders inwardly of said openings, said cylinder inner portions each having an arcuate bearing surface engaged by said sleeve valve means.

ANDRE J. MEYER; 

